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Subaru Crew Community Page- Your Comments/Opinions

Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
edited March 2014 in Subaru
We would like to hear what you think of the new Subaru Crew Community Page. Likes? Dislikes? Suggestions?

KarenS
Host
Owner's Clubs
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Comments

  • p0926p0926 Member Posts: 4,423
    Oh yeah, I like the new page too.

    -Frank P.
  • miksmimiksmi Member Posts: 1,246
    Rather than list everyone's pet URL, I suggest just list mine ;). Here's the largest compendium of Subaru sites (updated periodically) that I've encountered:

    Gordon Diamant's Sube-Directory

    If it's missing something, send me a message with subject "Sube-Directory: " and a brief description (5-6 words, maybe a sentence?). I'll aggregate them and ask Gordon to update. Please don't inundate Gordon with individual requests. juice, once the dust settles on your website, I'll add yours to Gordon's list.

    ..Mike

    [edit] Frank you're too fast for me.

    ..Mike

  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I like it, but my earlier post saying I like it is MIA.

    Still, thanks.

    -juice
  • lakepoplakepop Member Posts: 221
    Works good..looks good....I like it! :)
  • armac13armac13 Member Posts: 1,129
    It makes for a very convenient entry.

    Ross
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    The Subaru Community Page is a great idea!

    What I like best is I can now log onto the SOA web site.

    For those of you following my rants about the new SOA site (I can't get on because my downloaded Flash reader won't allow me to)—I can now log on via this community page.

    The SOA site isn't working perfectly. There are some features that aren't working (showroom for one), but at least I can now get on.

    Bob
  • bubba73bubba73 Member Posts: 1
    This forum for Subaru owners is great. I recently traded a 98 F-150 for a 2002 Impreza RS. One thing I've learned is the RS isn't a big seller in the U.S. It seems most people have either the Outback ( Impreza) or the Forrester. Anyway so far I love this car. I did a lot of comparison shopping ( Honda Civic,Toyota Corrolla,Nissan Sentra,Hyundai Elantra,and Volkswagon Golf) and I liked the Impreza the best. The handling and speed are excellent. Anyone else with an RS out there? Has anyone added a strut tower brace and does it make that much difference? And as an aside: am I the only person that thinks that Volkwswagons are overpriced and overrated? I'm looking forward to talking to the other members of this club. Bubba
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    i-club.com

    You'll find a lot of impreza info!

    -mike
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Bubba: hop over to the Subaru Crew - Modifications topic under Owners Clubs. I think you'll feel right at home! :-)

    -juice
  • aceperoacepero Member Posts: 13
    Finally someone out there with a 2002 2.5RS. I've been looking for you people for a while now. You are dead on when you say hardly anyone has this car. There is only one in my town and I've seen about maybe three or four on the road for about 3-4 months now. I'd think that living on LI I'd see a lot more. Let me know specifics about what you love about that car. I just ordered one a month ago and I am expecting delivery by mid September. My email is VanillaEps@aol.com.
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    Have you been to the Subaru Community page recently? Did you take the AWD poll? Please share your comments here!


    KarenS
    Host
    Owner's Clubs

  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I did, and I voted, but where are the results? There should be a "View Results" button or something. It just thanks me for voting.

    -juice
  • p0926p0926 Member Posts: 4,423
    Karen- Who came up with that AWD Poll question? It's pointless to do such a general comparison of AWD systems between manufacturers, as there are too many variables. As an example, Subaru has two very different AWD systems for manual or auto transmissions. And while I might "generally" think that Subaru's systems are far superior to those of Ford for example, I might at the same time think that Audi's AWD systems are better than Subaru's. That being the case, how would I answer the question?

    -Frank P.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I guess they are polling public perception, not we experts, who know Subaru's systems are superior. ;-)

    -juice
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    Good questions...and I'm not the person who knows. Drat! But, I will pass them on to the upper management.

    KarenS
    Host
    Owner's Clubs
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    Here are the answers:


    "Subaru's advertising agency came up with the AWD questions and answers - and told us not to allow public viewing of the poll results. Top secret market research here..."

     

    It would also be great if the Crew could fill out the market research survey under "Talk to Us".


    Thanks for your help!


    KarenS
    Host
    Owner's Clubs

  • p0926p0926 Member Posts: 4,423
    Okay, then it's a simple case of product ignorance at SOA's ad agency. Isn't it just typical that the ad agency would know less about the product they're under commission to sell than many of the owners!

    -Frank P.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Do you guys see the GM creeping in :)

    Don't worry, us Isuzu people will be holding a support group on thursdays from 8-9 right after the Subaru-OCD group has their meetings...

    -mike
  • miksmimiksmi Member Posts: 1,246
    Karen, for the reasons Frank mentioned (and Lucien elsewhere), I had skipped the AWD poll. To help, I filled it out.

    If you want more participation, I'd change: Talk to Us Take time out to tell us more about yourself

    This implies Edmunds is requesting information for a mass mailing. I'd move it under the headline Subaru Wants to Know....

    In general, I don't visit the Subaru Community Page because it's not obvious when new content exists (like "New" in a red). I'd like to see an easy, direct URL, like one of these:

    http://www.edmunds.com/subaru
    http://www.edmunds.com/townhall/subaru

    Currently, it's cumbersome:
    http://townhall.edmunds.com/cgi-bin/townhall.subaru#

    IMO the Subaru Community Page (and Edmunds in general) would improve if it employed Jakob Nielsen's usability suggestions at http://www.useit.com/ .

    Just my $.02. Edmunds is a great resource and I'd like to help improve it.

    ..Mike

    ..Mike

  • p0926p0926 Member Posts: 4,423
    Karen- I fully agree with Mike's statement: "In general, I don't visit the Subaru Community Page because it's not obvious when new content exists (like "New" in a red)"

    I use Edmund's Message Center to track new postings. Is there a way to have the Subaru Community Page show up there as an entry whenever it's been updated?

    -Frank P.
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    On Mike's statement. I visit it about once every quarter.

    Bob
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Ditto on Mike (with a capital M)'s comments. I visit 1x a quarter roughly as well. I use the Message Center for day to day use.

    -mike
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I'm with paisan. I see GM asking this question, trying to see if it's OK to put VersaCrap in our Subies.

    IT IS NOT OK! Off to the survey folks!

    On the Community Page, I have it marked as my default home page. It makes it easy to get to a lot of places, including topics that not have a new post, but you may have info to share.

    There is a one-click link to the Message Center, which is the bookmark I visit the most.

    -juice
  • lark6lark6 Member Posts: 2,565
    Frank P. - speaking from personal experience, I know what it's like to have sales staff who don't know - or take the time to learn - the product or service they sell. The end result is that they always lowball on price and end up cutting your profit margin, but not at the expense of their commissions, oh no. It's even worse when the product is a service and they treat your employees like so many pieces of meat. Top it off they usually want to start doing the work without a signed contract and with nothing up front. I tell them that the guys doing their home improvements don't work that way but it doesn't stop them.

    Oh yeah, Subie AWD question. Looks like the hands of the General's bean counters creeping in. The day I start seeing GM/Delphi/ACDelco cheap electronics and switchgear in Subarus is the day I start shopping elsewhere.

    Ed
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Hey our troopers have delphi ECUs and A/C Delco stereos, both of which work excellently!

    -mike
  • lark6lark6 Member Posts: 2,565
    I cannot say the same for the ACDelco stereo in my '93 Buick, paisan. The cassette unit died when the car was only 5 years old (yes, it was maintained properly) and the search/seek buttons sometimes froze. The power windows and door locks (Delphi, too, IIRC) worked intermittently as well, as did the HVAC controls - very disconcerting to have the heater/defroster stop working in the dead of a PA winter, with no assurance that it'd restart after stopping, turning off the car and restarting. Combined with having to replace water pumps every 50K miles and alternators only slightly less often and you can see why I wasn't a happy camper.

    On the plus side the Buick was a great stopgap car for me between my '86 VW Jetta and the current '00 Forester. The engine and tranny combo were very smooth, passengers were usually very comfy on long trips, and highway mileage was better than in my Forester (30-31mpg avg. vs. 26.5-27.5). However, it was a better car to be a passenger in than to drive. It did get me on NPR's "Car Talk" in the fall of 1996 - another topic entirely.

    It pains me to say, however, that the GM Delphi plant near here in Ewing, NJ, closed its doors a year or so ago and has been completely bulldozed, except for a guard shack, as of last week. A number of good jobs lost in the area and I sometimes can't help feeling guilty about it.

    Ed
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I'm no american car fan myself (see my rants about FORDs) but both my Rodeo and thus far my Trooper have been nothing but quality, even though they do have Harrison Radiators, and Delphi electronics for some things.

    -mike
  • lark6lark6 Member Posts: 2,565
    Didn't say I wasn't an American car fan - still have one in the garage albeit an orphan. I am evenly split between domestic and import in my owning life so far: Ford, Honda, VW, Buick, Subaru, Studebaker. In my heart of hearts I want to see US build quality increase and, what's harder still, that the PERCEPTION (sorry for all caps, hosts) of better build quality increases in the eye of the American consumer. When you look at cheap mismatched interior plastics and fabric, badly aligned and big-gapped body panels, and the myriad of recalls for brand new models (pick a Ford, any Ford) it doesn't speak highly of the US auto industry. When it appears that all they can sell to the public are trucks and SUVs, and the passenger cars primarily to rentals and fleets, it doesn't speak highly either. Too much time and resources spent on brand management and spin.

    I'm beginning to sound less logical and more reactionary. Time for some sleep.

    Ed
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Don't feel guilty. Subaru is basically GM owned and the majority of Subies sold here are made in Indiana.

    Compare that to the Intrepid, say, which is made in Canada by a German owned company.

    I think a lot of Buicks are made in Canada too.

    -juice
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    Thanks for the suggestions and feedback! I'm passing them on to the Director of Community.

    KarenS
    Host
    Owner's Clubs
  • hondafriekhondafriek Member Posts: 2,984
    I was about to ask what is domestic and what is import anymore, all the major Japanese car makers now build most or all of their cars in North America.

    I think what defines them is that the build quality equals anything built in Japan and the mindset at the factorys is responsible for that, all the workers are responsible for quality control not just a select group as in true domestic car assembley.

    When Honda origionally set up in Ohio they said from the outset anybody with previous auto assembly do not apply because we cannot get you out of all your bad habits it is far easier to train people who have never worked in the auto industry.

    Cheers Pat.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I think it's a combination of the workers at the plants and the tolerances set by the manufacturers. Foreign cars just have tighter tolerances. I like the engineering marvels that American makers have, but I've been burnt too many times to go back just yet.

    -mike
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    That may also be why the import makes tend to choose new towns for factory locations.

    It's funny, though, that Isuzu and Suzuki belong to GM, and Mitsubishi is basically a division of DCX. Nissan belongs to Renault, Jaguar to Ford, Saab to GM, the list goes on...

    So who knows where your money ends up when you buy a car.

    -juice
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    Please remember that posting copyrighted material is not allowed in the Town Hall. Providing links is okay. Here is a link to that article:

    What Does It Mean to ?Buy American??

    KarenS
    Host
    Owner's Clubs
  • hypovhypov Member Posts: 3,068
    Oops (well, not really).
    I did the link thing but the ware keeps saying I'm 115 over.

    Nonetheless, I will abide and refrain :-)

    -Dave
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    A tip I've found useful is to insert a space before the equals sign " =".

    -juice
  • caperosiercaperosier Member Posts: 58
    The Bridgestone Dueler HT tires on this 2001 Forester L have been unsafe on normal winter conditions here in New England. At much less than 30K miles, the treadwear bars are showing: the tires are useless.
    NO RESPONSE FROM SOA.
    Why would a mfr sell a vehicle used primarily in North American weather fit these tires? Poor wear, unsafe traction in snow, on ice, in slush, in cold rain.
    Chose Michelin Symmetry for replacement.
    Comments from the enthusiasts are welcome.
  • subearusubearu Member Posts: 3,613
    Only a few topics appear in my message center, but if I go to the Subaru Crew page, the topics show messages unread. I just checked and verified that I have all the topics subscribed. I believe kens was having trouble too (mentioned in Meet the Members II).

    -Brian
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I don't blame SoA at all, it's up to Bridgestone to back their tire. This is the industry norm, even before the Ford vs. Firestone debate. It's the same with most batteries.

    28k miles sounds short, but it's not for an all terrain tire. Note that both Honda and Toyota also have chosen the exact same tire for OE applications in their SUVs.

    OE tires are a compromise in cost, noise, ride, dry, rain, snow, and ice traction. No tire will do everything well.

    I thought the Duelers were OK in snow, far better than the touring tires I got to replace them (we get little snow, so I'm OK with that tradeoff).

    -juice
  • joybelljoybell Member Posts: 275
    I am a long time Subaru owner, so is my mother and so is my brother. It is time for me to retire the trusty Loyale station wagon. Both my mother and my brother warned me that this time Subaru will not have what I want. I want a Forester (would take a station wagon but like the height of the Forester), front wheel drive, no air conditioning, no power windows or mirrors, and vinyl seats because cloth seats absorb barn smells (we are dairy farmers) and aborb the kids' messes as well. In other words, I want a Subaru Forester or a Subaru station wagon fully UNLOADED. My most favourite Subaru was my 1987 Chaser. It had a switch where I could engage the AWD if I wanted but I found that I almost never used it even in mid winter in Canada.
    I really would prefer front wheel drive only like my Loyale. So do I have to go see Mazda? I don't want Honda or Toyota because they are made in USA. I hope that the Subaru is still made in Japan?
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    All new Subarus come only with full-time AWD. You can't get FWD. They also all come with air conditioning, power windows, and, vinyl seats are not available; only cloth or leather. That's the way they come in the United States. I believe Canada is the same.

    The Forester is a great car. We have a 2001 S Premium with over 21K miles on it, and we also have have a '96 Impreza Outback with over 80K miles on it. I highly recommend either one. If you want vinyl, you'll need to get seat covers.

    Bob
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    You can't even buy a Kia or a hyundai w/o AC nowdays. Its just a fact of life in the US.

    -mike
  • subearusubearu Member Posts: 3,613
    The Legacy line, including Outbacks, are built in Indiana at the SIA plant.

    Foresters & Imprezas are still sent here from overseas.

    Having said all of that, we would strongly recommend our Outback H4 - we love it, especially when it snows :)

    -Brian
  • joybelljoybell Member Posts: 275
    Well, if the Foresters are still made in Japan, maybe I can get one without airconditioning and with vinyl seats. It appears that the models made here are "fully loaded" because that's wahat American consumers want. I think that the average North American consumer prefers looks over substance and quality, but that is a personal observation having lived in Europe many years. I will not buy a Subaru made in USA. I also checked with Mazda yesterday and they have a minivan made in Hiroshima, but it comes with a Ford motor. I'll check into the Forester today if I can get a base model and if not I will check into a VW wagon. My brother remined me last night that the wheel bearings on the rear wheels of my mom's 2000 (Impresa?) Subaru went, and that a new Outback belonging to his friend went off the road due to mechanical failure. That sort of thing is typical with cars built in North America. A warranty isn't an excuse for letting a car leave the factory in less than perfect condition.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Good luck in your quest to get a car that doesn't exist in the NA market. I agree that build quality is slightly better in a Japanese built vehicle, but even they don't produce every car 100% correctly, it's a matter of statistics. The subarus coming out of the SIA plant are top quality IMHO. (My family owns 3 produced there w/o and problems)

    -mike
  • subearusubearu Member Posts: 3,613
    I don't believe you can order a Forester w/o AC.

    Some Forester's (and Impreza's) had wheel bearing failures due to improperly torqued bolts. I don't believe it was a problem with a high volume of incidents.

    Sounds like you already have your mind made up on not buying a Sube made in the US. That's a shame - the Legacy line offers a lot of choices, including an H6 with VDC in the Outback. I think you'd find that problems with Subes, made in the US or Japan, have far fewer problems than other vehicles.

    Enjoy your VW wagon.

    -Brian
  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
    Well, I have a Subaru that's built in both places. To my surprise, the Indiana built Outback has been more trouble free than the Gunma built OB Sport. Either would be more trouble free than a VW though.
    Yes, enjoy the VW.

    Dennis
  • lark6lark6 Member Posts: 2,565
    First, a disclaimer: I do not work for Subaru, nor am I paid by them.

    I own a '00 Forester S which was built, like all Foresters to date, in Japan. It is not perfect and has suffered from the rear wheel bearing failure as described. If installed properly, the bearings are much less susceptible to failure. Improper installation can occur at the factory as well as at the dealer service department. After having the bearings installed properly, I have not had a failure in 20,000+ miles.

    At 31,xxx miles the Forester's engine developed a leaky head gasket on one bank of cylinders. I was very upset about this as I too felt that a failure of this nature shouldn't occur in a car with so few miles. The repair was handled quickly and, apparently, properly, by the dealer service department (a Subaru - VW dealer) and I have had approximately 1500 trouble-free miles since the repair.

    I bought new a 1986 Jetta Carat built in Germany. It had a serious initial build problem with the transmission; after the involvement of the local Better Business Bureau and the threat of legal action, VWoA finally corrected the problem, but at some cost to me - this for a vehicle under warranty that had not been subjected to improper use. It developed its share of mechanical and electrical problems at the same stage in its lifetime as the Forester, some of which were correctd by VW, others which were never corrected during the lifetime of the vehicle.

    I guess my point is that sometimes vehicles come from the factory with problems - some more serious than others - and the problems affect vehicles from the manufacturer's "better" plants (Germany cf. Mexico, Japan cf. USA). What is as important to me is the manufacturer's commitment to correcting the problem and recognizing its own responsibility for the problem. With Subaru I'm experiencing that; I did not with Volkswagen.

    Good luck in choosing the vehicle that best suits your needs.

    Ed
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Monica: start with a Forester L, which is made in Japan. Have an upholstery shop install vinyl on the seats. Leather costs $900, so I imagine vinyl has to be cheaper. Or get seat covers.

    For the A/C, you could probably disable it by removing a belt (I'm not sure), but leave the compressor off and it'll never bother you.

    Hmm, FWD? Well, the automatics have a fuse you can insert to make it FWD temporarily, but it isn't intended for long-term use. The 5 speeds do not have this.

    My suggestion? A RAV4. They come stripped. No A/C, no power windows, no power locks, and only FWD standard.

    It's weird because most people prefer the opposite (comprehensive standard equipment).

    -juice
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    or FWD Honda CRV are good suggestions. Neither, however, would be as good as the cheapest AWD Subaru.

    Monica, I don't know why you prefer FWD over AWD. I think(?) you're from Canada (and live on a farm), where AWD would clearly be the choice to have. And, of all the AWD choices, the Subie's is among the best, if not the best in that price range

    Bob
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